Preview of the cross country state championships

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The following story is written by Jim Castor, retired assistant sports editor of the Democrat and Chronicle. Castor has covered running in the greater Rochester area for more than four decades. He can be reached at jcastor@jimcastor.com:

Mickey Burke, Katie Lembo and a supporting cast of the rest of the best high school runners in greater Rochester take on New York's best Saturday at the state public school athletic association's cross country championships in Queensbury, Warren County.

"I've been waiting pretty much my whole running career for this," said Burke, the Rush-Henrietta senior and three-time Section V Class A champion who missed a state title by 22 seconds last year. '"I'm going to rely on what I know, my training, be relaxed and let it happen."

Burke and Lembo, the Penfield senior and two-time sectional champion, are All-Americans, All-Greater Rochester Runners of the Year as juniors and now speed-rated number one in the state by tullyrunners.com. If they both win Saturday it will be the first time in the meet's 63-year history for boys, and 39 for girls, that Section V will have champions in both top classes the same year.

Only three boys and four girls from Sec. V have won the largest-schools class since the section approved competing at states in 1967. They are Pat Dupont of Fairport (2007), John Horkheimer of Pittsford (1988), Jerry McQueen of Rush-Henrietta (1976), Allison Sawyer of Hilton (2006), Deresa Walters of Penfield (1987), Stacey Prey of Brighton and Beth Dwyer of Fairport (1978).

"The ratings are what they are – just a guide," Burke said. "There are a lot of really good runners out there. I'm not focusing on anyone else. Just me."

Among Section V's contingent of 96 runners, the Pittsford Mendon boys are top-rated to win the Class B team title, Wayland-Cohocton sophomore Meghan Curtin is in the mix to contend for a Class C title and teammates Jacob Hanss and Dawson Bathgate from East Rochester may push the pace in Class D.

In addition, Mendon junior Mary Barger may contend in Class B as well as she continues to recover from an early-season ankle injury. Barger transferred from the state's top-ranked team, Fayetteville-Manlius, in August and won the Section V ''B'' title by 14 seconds.